Saturday, 30 November 2013

Today I took part in the celebration of the
160th Anniversary of the Diocese of Natal. I was invited by the Dean
of the Cathedral of the Holy Nativity and this meant I found my place with
about 50 other priests in the procession. I brought both my white and red
stole. I supposed that we were to wear red but you never know. But red it was,
the 30th November being the day of St. Andrew, patron saint of this
diocese. In church red is the colour of the blood of the martyrs. But in Africa
red is also the colour of joy!

One little question I have is why this
Diocese is called the Diocese of Natal. Since 1994 the province is
KwaZulu-Natal. This is something I need to ask someone about.

The celebration had the form of a high mass
led by bishop Rubin and the two suffragan bishops. I just want to highlight a
few things. First I want to say something about the Blessing of the Water, when
lay representatives from different regions carried water from the different
parts of the diocese and poured it into a font, with a fountain. It was a nice
symbol. The geographical, earthly side of the Church! It was followed through
in the Eucharistic prayer with the words:

In your infinite wisdom, you created earth
and made it pregnant with new life. You reveal your mighty power to us in the
ragged peaks of the uKhahlamba Drakensberg and in the mysterious depths of the
Indian Ocean.

It was for the first time I heard
geographical names in a Eucharistic Prayer. I liked it!

Second I want to mention the liturgical
dance. And especially the two paradigms that met. One the one hand the hierarchical
processions, where there are one cross in the front, but then another
processional cross for the suffragan bishops and finally two crosses (I think
they are called something else) for the diocesan bishop. When the women came
dancing in the isle the body language tells something else. Still I like this
kind of clashes and mixing of different symbols. It was only when bishop Rubin
cracked a joke, saying that the bishops would dance later (which of course
never happened) that I felt a bit sad. Had Archbishop emeritus Desmond Mpilo
Tutu been there I am sure he would have joined the dancing.

Most probably the three bishops wanted to take part in the dancing.

Finally I want to say something about the
sermon. It was again bishop Rubin who preached. He is maybe not the most
radical of bishops but his message was good. The church needs to be a church in
mission. He only mentioned one of his predecessors and that was the first
bishop of the Diocese, bishop Colenso. I think I will dedicate a separate blog
post to him. He was a very special person, at one stage suspended by the bishop
of Cape Town, something he did not accept. (More about this later!) He was
supporting the rights of black people in the 19th century and got the
African name: Sobantu (mening “father of all people” in isiZulu). How fitting
that I will preach in the Lutheran Church in the township called Sobantu
tomorrow!

Thuli
Madonsela is Public Protector in South Africa. She has written a report about
President Jacob Zumas private home stead: Nkandla. It is alleged that the state
has used ZAR 215 000 000 to upgrade the security around Nkandla.
Although President Zuma is the first citizen this is a lot of money and it
seems as if other upgrades than security have been included. Mail and Guardian
mentions

Monday, 25 November 2013

As often as
we can, we attend church in Eastwood. That is our congregation. Today together
with good friends from Sweden and the United States. This particular Sunday’s
name, in the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Southern Africa is:

Christ the
King.

In the
Church of Sweden we still name the Sunday: Judgment Sunday. In Eastwood it was a
joyful service. Lots of singing and the bible readings supported the theme. The
Gospel was taken from Luke 23 about Jesus and the criminals who also were
crucified. One of them asks Jesus to remember him and Jesus answers:

I promise
you that today you will be in paradise with me.

The
preacher this Sunday was Mrs Prince, a lay member who preaches from time to
time. I especially liked the way she linked this Sunday to the upcoming festive
season. She said that we have to remember that incarnation, that Jesus was
born as a human being, is linked to salvation, that Jesus had to die on a cross. When she spoke
about that I looked at the altar and saw the altar cloth which actually
combines these two things: the Star of Bethlehem and the crown of thorns.

I saw red berets in Pietermaritzburg this
morning! Ijaa neh! EFF seem to be penetrating and occupying a lot of space in
the Republic.

ANC, watch out!!!!

I also think EFF has learnt from the
mistakes of Cope. They are more or better organized.

The coming elections will surely shift the
balance of power!!! Watch this space!!!

I agree PP,Malema knows ANC better and he
will use Cope's mistakes to strengthen EFF and his only wish is to hurt ANC and
he will. I'm not saying he will win but I forsee him taking DA's space and
getting seats in parliament. Danger ke ya gore he attracts more youth.

Sunday, 10 November 2013

Although we
had been close to two weeks at the World Council of Churches 10th Assembly in
Busan most of the other participants remained unknown. At the airport I saw
lots of people whom I understood came from the ecumenical movement. Some were
obviously clergy. Others still wore the green name-tags which all of us had been
given when the assembly began.

Masimba from Harare waiting at the cafe.

When I left
the plane in Beijing (where the waiting time was seven hours) I recognized a
colleague from my own university who was going to catch the same flight. I also
saw two other South Africans, whom I understood were also booked on the flight
to Johannesburg. Another familiar face was a Zimbabwean assembly participant. I
can’t say that we knew each other but I guess the relation with Southern Africa
brought us together. We lined up at the check in counter and were told that we
had to wait four hours before the SAA counter opened. Since we were on transfer
we had to stay in the designated area and there were no opportunities to buy
coffee or tea or anything to eat. We
felt a bit ill-treated. Just to add,
Masimba from Zimbabwe happens to be blind. It was in deed strange when the
accompanying staff member from Asian Airlines just left him. Bad service! A
person with disabilities usually gets help to check in and often gets to spend
time in a lounge. Anyhow, we didn’t mind – because Masimba is a very pleasant person
and together the five of us became a group in itself: Stiaan, Roderick,
Thabile, Masimba and Anders. Almost like a family. An ecumenical family.

Roderick from Jamaica (but my colleague at UKZN) and Stiaan from Midrand.

Thabile from Eastern Cape and I enjoying coffee and tea.

The first problem
was: how to get something to eat and drink? The only way was to go through
immigration and into the People’s Republic of China. It meant walking a
distance, using several escalators, travelling by one of those airport shuttle
trains etc. We finally got to the departure hall and made ourselves comfortable
at a cafe. One option could have been to take a taxi into Beijing but it was
Saturday evening and we didn’t have too much time. So we enjoyed the cafe and
the company. After four hours we went to the ordinary check in counter and were
able to check in and so we returned to the gate. The five of us! It was really
nice when we sat in our seats (close to one another) and Masimba said:

Friday, 8 November 2013

Father Michael Lapsley, who lost both his hands and one of his eyes in a letterbomb attack carried out by the South African Security Police in 1990 - after the release of Mandela. He can speak convincingly about the need for healing of memories.

The 10
Assembly of the World Council of Churches is over. I am just back from the
closing prayer. Allow me to quote the preacher, Father Michael Lapsley, on some
important points:

About post-apartheid
South Africa:

In our
context in South Africa when a black mother sits with a white mother and says
that her child never returned form fighting apartheid, the white mother may
reply, my child did return but is still damaged by what s/he experienced.
Suddenly they are both mothers united by the pain they carry.

About the
Armenian genocide in 1915:

Your
Holiness and All Armenians – may I today say from this place, we have heard
what you said – your people did indeed suffer a great wrong. May the Great
healer accompany you so those wounds may truly heal to enable all Armenians to
also help others on their journey of healing.

About human
sexuality:

Today I
want to say as a Christian, as a priest, to all the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual,
Transgender and Intersex community, I am deeply sorry for our part as religious
people, in the pain you have experienced across the ages. I have a dream that
in my lifetime, I will hear all the leaders of all our great faith traditions
making the same apology.

Referring
to the context of the risen Lord, as the scripture was read from Luke 24:28-35:

The
crucified and risen one invites us to look at and touch one another’s wounds –
to listen and to hear the pain of each other and so become one.

It was a strong
message about how we as an ecumenical movement, being so different, still are
called into unity.

The need
for this became very clear when after the sermon we were invited to exchange
peace with one another. Just before this one or maybe two protesters ran into
the worship hall and aimed for the microphone in order to denounce the WCC as
evil. The protesters were literally carried away and we were a few who felt
sorry that they were handled quite brutally.

Tomorrow I
will start the journey back home, back to South Africa. It has been very
rewarding weeks. Although I am quite exhausted I know I will cherish this for
the rest of my life. And I am more dedicated than ever to the theme of the Assembly:

Thursday, 7 November 2013

I felt something coming already yesterday.
Some head ache, possibly fever but nothing more. So, I tried to find a pharmacy,
to get some pain killers. In order to do so, I went to the WCC infirmary. I
explained to the doctor that I just needed some advice. What kind of brand
would be similar to the empty packet of paracetamol and ibuprofen I showed him?
And where would I find a pharmacy? Well, he asked me to sit down outside and
after a few minutes a nurse came out with two small plastic bags with tablets.
She informed me to take one tablet from each bag together with breakfast and
dinner. I was very grateful. So service minded!

So I never went to the pharmacy. I went
home to the hotel and took as prescribed two tablets with some food. But the
night I experienced was something special. Of course I know that fever can make
you a bit dizzy but this was something else. I felt as if I and my body were
two different entities! The feeling was not nice at all. I am not going to
continue with this medication.

This means that today has been a different
day at the WCC Assembly, because I have spent the whole day in my hotel room. I
just went out a short while to get some food. And good colleagues from Sweden
have given me from their own supplies of ordinary, Swedish paracetamol. I look
forward to a good night’s rest and tomorrow my plan (and my prayer) is that I
can take part in the last day of the Assembly.

Wednesday, 6 November 2013

Today the text for the bible study was 1
Kings 21:1-22. My colleague from UKZN, Sarojini Nadar, asked me to play the
role of Naboth. So here’s the text itself and some footage:

Some time later there was an incident involving a vineyard belonging to Naboth the Jezreelite. The vineyard was in Jezreel, close to the palace of Ahab king of Samaria. Ahab said to Naboth, “Let me have your vineyard to use for a vegetable garden, since it is close to my palace. In exchange I will give you a better vineyard or, if you prefer, I will pay you whatever it is worth.” But Naboth replied, “The Lord forbid that I should give you the inheritance of my ancestors.”

Jione Havea as king Ahab and me as Naboth.

So Ahab went home, sullen and angry because Naboth the Jezreelite had said, “I will not give you the inheritance of my ancestors.” He lay on his bed sulking and refused to eat. His wife Jezebel came in and asked him, “Why are you so sullen? Why won’t you eat?”

Queen Jezebel (Evangeline Anderson Rajkumar) talks with her husband, king Ahab.
I, Néstor O. Míguez, Maake Masongo and Pernilla Stam are waiting for the story to continue.

He answered her, “Because I said to Naboth the Jezreelite, ‘Sell me your vineyard; or if you prefer, I will give you another vineyard in its place.’ But he said, ‘I will not give you my vineyard.’” Jezebel his wife said, “Is this how you act as king over Israel? Get up and eat! Cheer up. I’ll get you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.” So she wrote letters in Ahab’s name, placed his seal on them, and sent them to the elders and nobles who lived in Naboth’s city with him. In those letters she wrote: “Proclaim a day of fasting and seat Naboth in a prominent place among the people. But seat two scoundrels opposite him and have them bring charges that he has cursed both God and the king. Then take him out and stone him to death.” So the elders and nobles who lived in Naboth’s city did as Jezebel directed in the letters she had written to them. They proclaimed a fast and seated Naboth in a prominent place among the people. Then two scoundrels came and sat opposite him and brought charges against Naboth before the people, saying, “Naboth has cursed both God and the king.” So they took him outside the city and stoned him to death. Then they sent word to Jezebel: “Naboth has been stoned to death.”

As soon as Jezebel heard that Naboth had been stoned to death, she said to Ahab, “Get up and take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite that he refused to sell you. He is no longer alive, but dead.” When Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, he got up and went down to take possession of Naboth’s vineyard.

Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite: “Go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, who rules in Samaria. He is now in Naboth’s vineyard, where he has gone to take possession of it. Say to him, ‘This is what the Lord says: Have you not murdered a man and seized his property?’ Then say to him, ‘This is what the Lord says: In the place where dogs licked up Naboth’s blood, dogs will lick up your blood—yes, yours!’” Ahab said to Elijah, “So you have found me, my enemy!” “I have found you,” he answered, “because you have sold yourself to do evil in the eyes of the Lord. He says, ‘I am going to bring disaster on you. I will wipe out your descendants and cut off from Ahab every last male in Israel—slave or free. I will make your house like that of Jeroboam son of Nebat and that of Baasha son of Ahijah, because you have aroused my anger and have caused Israel to sin.’ “And also concerning Jezebel the Lord says: ‘Dogs will devour Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel.’ “Dogs will eat those belonging to Ahab who die in the city, and the birds will feed on those who die in the country.” (There was never anyone like Ahab, who sold himself to do evil in the eyes of the Lord, urged on by Jezebel his wife. He behaved in the vilest manner by going after idols, like the Amorites the Lord drove out before Israel.) When Ahab heard these words, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and fasted. He lay in sackcloth and went around meekly. Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite: “Have you noticed how Ahab has humbled himself before me? Because he has humbled himself, I will not bring this disaster in his day, but I will bring it on his house in the days of his son.”

After the drama the main actors were invited to share their views in a talk show, where Sarojini asked everyone a few questions.

And thereafter we all shared thoughts in
smaller groups. This text is a very important text for Christian Palestinians.
That became very clear in the report back. This overshadowed another aspect
which also could be found in the text, namely the conflict between Elijah and Jezebel.
She is described in rather negative ways. The question is: is it fair? A few
chapters earlier in the story we can read about how 450 of Jezebels prophets
were killed. But of course, Naboth had nothing to do with that.

Tuesday, 5 November 2013

This evening
I am a bit tired. That is probably why this post will focus on a few problems.

We had the
last ecumenical conversation today. The leadership has been good but have we
reached anywhere? When were to decide on a few affirmations and a few challenges
I felt that we worked too much with details. One of the facilitators repeatedly
asked us to focus on the content of every sentence and say yes or no to that
and if we had time we could go back and work with details. It seemed as if very
few listened. The dilemma with the WCC is also that so many perspectives have
to be taken into account so the final statement sometimes becomes watered down
to almost nothing. But maybe the process itself is the most important.

The
delegates were supposed to elect the Central Committee yesterday. They did not,
because of a lack of young nominees. So tomorrow there is an extra business
plenary. My concern is this: Haven’t the churches known this for seven years?
Are they not interested in young people? (Probably not in decision making.
Maybe as stewards!)

On top of
questions relation to gender and age I know from conversations I have had with
individuals that indigenous people and people with disabilities also struggle
to be listened to. Not to mention sexual minorities.

Are we not
all humans? It becomes very clear to me that there are power struggles and unjust
structures to be addressed.

So, let me
end by saying that I still am happy to be part of this gathering. It is
important that churches, so different, still talk to one another and still pray
together. Possibly the Holy Spirit, who moved on the first Pentecost (which was
the theme today) also will move now, almost 2000 years later!

Evangeline Anderson-Rajkumar was one of the presenters in the Oikotree workshop. This is an initiative that brings hope. I want to get more knowledge about it before I write anything. Former WCC General Secretary Samuel Kobia also spoke at the workshop.

Another person who brings hope is Fr Michael Lapsley who list both his hands in letter bomb attack but now signs a copy of his book: "Redeeming the Past. My Journey from Freedom Fighter to Healer." I got a copy from "Women in Church and Society" together with other men, who had been involved in the Pre-assembly!

Monday, 4 November 2013

Another
interesting day at the WCC 10th Assembly in Busan. Allow me to just give a few
glimpses. It was the fourth day of the Assembly program but it was my 9th day.

In the Morning
Prayer the scripture reading was interpreted by a drama group. While several
readers read about Philip baptizing the Ethiopian Eunuch (Acts 8:26-40) the
drama group illustrated the reading. When the scripture reading quotes a
passage from Isaiah and the drama group was acting it became very clear to me,
that this also was a message into our own time:

He was
humiliated, and justice was denied him.

This happens all the time to human
beings as well as to the rest of creation.

In the
thematic plenary we got greetings from both the Palestinian bishop Munib Yuonan
and Rabbi Norman Solomon (I think this was his name) from the International Jewish
Committee on Interreligious Consultations. It gave me hope to see them
together.

After lunch
I took part in a workshop with the YWCA and thereafter Ecumenical Conversation
number 3. And after the tea break another activity in the Madang.

We were
many thousands who could not take part in the most important activity today,
namely the Elections in the Business Plenary. Only delegates and a few others
can participate. I know it was a difficult session, though. According to the election
rules of the WCC there are many perspectives to take into account. First of all
the different geographical regions have to be represented equally and according
to how many member churches they have (or how big the churches are). Secondly
the different traditions have to be represented (Oriental, Orthodox, Protestant
etc.) Thirdly the nomination has to take into account that it should be a
balance between lay and ordained people. There is furthermore a quotation
system for people with disabilities (sometimes called people with special
abilities) and for indigenous people as well as for gender and age. Not an easy
task to solve.

I do not
know if they managed to elect people to the central committee including a new
moderator. But I know that the 8 presidents have been elected. The one for
Europe is the Archbishop of Church of Sweden, Anders Wejryd. As far as I know
there were no other nominations. He has a long experience from the WCC and will
have time for this, as he retires next year.

But outside
BEXCO other Christians continue to pray and demonstrate. One has to admire
there persistent struggle against a movement, which for them is Antichrist.
Every time I pass them I greet them with the peace of God and usually they
greet me back. At least we are not fighting physically!

Sunday, 3 November 2013

Not knowing
what to expect I went to BEXCO, the conference center where the WCC 10th Assembly
is taking place. I had got the information that the bus should leave at about
9. The bus was to take us to a Lutheran church service. Well, that did not
materialize (as people often say in South Africa!) Instead the bus left after
10 and brought us to a Presbyterian Church Service, which started at 11. That
was still OK. In the bus we were supposed to be 29 (according to the list of
the guiding team) but we were only 13. (This made me a bit sad, because the
Korean churches have really walked the extra mile with us and when we don’t
stick to our promises, this is unfortunate.) But we who were in the bus were,
as usual, treated with such a wonderful hospitality.

In every church we have visited they havea large screen. And usually men are in charge.

The church
we attended was the GUDUK Presbyterian Church. (The Presbyterian church is the
biggest denomination in South Korea). We got a translation of the sermon before
the service. Based on Isaiah 6:1-8 Pastor Yoon preached about our talents: To
see with spiritual eyes, to hear with spiritual ears and to be used by God –
using spiritual lips.

The service
was short. Only 1 hour. A good choir sang, accompanied by an orchestra. Behind
the pastor a big screen which was used though out the service. For instance
during the announcements.

After church we had lunch. Traditional Korean food. Nice! And after that a cup
of cappuccino in the Church café. (Or Latte, for those who preferred that).
After only five minutes we had to rush to the next attraction. Busan Modern
History Museum. A lot about the Japanese occupation. It is really an open
wound.

From the
museum of to the Haedong Yonggungsa Temple. Situated not on a hill but near the
sea. It was a beautiful scenery. And some interesting aspects of this type of Buddhism.
For instance the “Buddha of Granting a Son”.

On this
tour were people from Indonesia, Germany, Norway and Sweden. The Swedish part
was in majority. I enjoyed the company of the young participants from Church of
Sweden youth. But I also enjoyed talking with Henriett Hutabarat Labang, who is
the General Secretary of the Christian Conference of Asia. She made me aware of
the absence of a “Buddha of Granting a Daughter”. The theme of this assembly could
also have been:

Saturday, 2 November 2013

Saturday. No plenaries and no Ecumenical Conversations
today. But programmes planned by the Korean churches for the WCC delegates and
participants. We could choose from 15 different programmes. The most
spectacular was the journey to the border between North and South on the 38th parallel.
Other programmes included visits to places close to Busan. We were supposed to
register on line before coming to Busan. I didn't do that, but was still able
to register for a programme named: Empowering the marginalized.

Before I say anything about the day I have
to refer to a very important document that the Assembly is dealing with. It’s
called:

So my expectations were these: I knew we
were going to a hospital and I thought we would meet a group of patients and
have a conversation with them. Maybe also visit an area where people live in
poverty and some interesting projects. I thought we were going to see another Korea than BEXCO and the fancy
hotels we stay in.

I was wrong and I was right. The day did
not meet my expectations in the sense that we did what I thought we were going
to do. But it was very rewarding and interesting in other ways.

First of all we did visit a hospital and
was led to a room where refreshments waited for us. A presentation followed.
The history of the hospital. 95% was the history of Australian Presbyterian
missionaries and their work to open the hospital, nursing school etc. With
names, photos and detailed facts about their lives. Interesting! But what about the marginalized?

The Mackenzie sisters were instrumental in the history of the hospital.

Next stop was an old school. More facts
about the same missionaries and their contribution. The old school was now a
museum and one of the oldest buildings in Busan, built in Western style. (And
not in Japanese style). Why focus on western architecture?

Where are the marginalized? Where is the
empowerment? I was confused.

But then they showed us a room in the
museum which told a story about the resistance movement during the Japanese
occupation. (1910-1945). It is called "the March 1st Movement" and it started in
that building. And I understood that the Australian missionaries were deeply
involved.

Information about the March 1st Movement.

My prejudice (coming from another context)
was that missionaries work closely with the colonial power. Missionary work goes
hand in hand with paternalism. In South Africa the churches both love and hate
the missionaries. (This I know from experience but Purity Malinga – a Methodist
priest from Pretoria, who was also in the bus – expressed it just like that).
Not so in Korea. People love the missionaries. At least the Presbyterian missionaries
from Australia. They were supporting the Korean people against the colonial
power: Japan. (The first invasion from Japan took place between 1592 and 1598.
They have a long history together).

I understood that I had to listen for the
empowerment of the marginalized with other ears. And then I also realized that
the hospital was a hospital mainly for women and that the church paid for
migrant workers who are not part of the Korean health insurance system. Maybe
there is more empowerment here then I first saw.

We also visited a church nearby, where we
were offered a fantastic lunch. Hospital, school, church. Those three parts of
a classic mission station. Spirituality, health and education. Important parts
of empowerment! Done in partnership with missionaries who really understood who
they should support.

After lunch we went with the bus quite far,
to visit a university run partly by the church. Now the time was really against
us. We spent less than 20 minutes in a board room with the founder of the
university. We go tea and a present. (We also got presents at the hospital and
at the church!)

The plan was also that we should stop at
school where people were waiting for us but due to time constraints we skipped
that. I think that was sad. But we could do nothing about it.

The short visit at the university was very formal.

In the bus I thought about where the people
on the margin fit in at the university. Well, maybe when one of the visitors, a
priest from Myanmar asked if they accept students from Myanmar. Yes, the
founder said. And they only have to pay half of the tuition fee. And then he asked the priest
for his contact details and it felt as he was genuinely interested in helping students
from Myanmar to get a chance to study at the university.

The first Australian, Presbyterian missionary died after only 6 month. Two Coptic priests from the US and Australia were amazed when they listened to the guide.

Lastly we stopped at a memorial site, where
the church (with the help of the state) has erected memorial stones for those
missionaries who lost their lives while they were far away from home, being in
service. This memorial site was not old. Maybe a few years. I was again
stunned. I don't think this would happen in South Africa. And I don’t think it
should happen there. But the Korean people in this context obviously had a totally
different experience. One of the missionaries who is still alive was with us. John Brown – more than
80 years. Fluent in Korean and very active.

We also ended up having vivid ecumenical
(informal) conversations in the bus. Being a very mixed group of Lutherans from
Sweden, a Czech Republic Hussite, a Moravian from Nicaragua, Coptic priests and
nuns from Australia and America, a Methodist from South Africa,others from Myanmar, Indonesia, Australia etc. This fellowship
of churches is really a great inspiration.

I am glad that participated in this part of
the pilgrimage that we all make of during the Assembly. Tomorrow I will
attend church somewhere in Busan. I just know that I shall enter bus number 4.
At 9 am. That’s all!

Friday, 1 November 2013

Every day
at the Assembly revolves around a Bible text. Today Amos 5:14-24 which is a
strong and prophetic message relevant in this context.

Every day
at the Assembly starts with a Morning Prayer and bible study. I attend the
English Plenary Bible Study. We are many hundreds but it works. The method is
contextual bible study and we are asked to form small groups where we sit.
Today it was led by my colleague at the UKZN, Prof Sarojini Nadar. Four people
helped her read the text. Thereafter she welcomed Amos to the stage. First it
felt as a humoristic role-play but it soon turned into a real encounter.

A prophet from Tahiti!

In our
small group I met Ms Katia Tupara from the Maohi Protestant Church, Tahiti.
When we were invited to share thoughts about the bible text she told us about
the French occupation of Tahiti. This came as a very prophetic challenge to me.
I have to realize that I did not pay much attention to the political situation
of the people in the so called French Polynesia. I know about the nuclear tests
which is of course only one part of a very complex situation. On top of
that the people living on those islands also have to face the climate change
and the rising of the sea level. I asked Katia about how she feels about the
image from Amos:

Let justice
roll down like waters

She said
that there is a huge difference between the waters. Rising sea levels are
caused by the big countries in the world. The water Amos is talking about is
the fresh water springing up from the soil of these islands.

Ylva Sarri is drumming on her digital drum.

The bible
study was done with words and drums. For instance the reading of the bible text
was mixed with drumming. As a sign of how a prophet makes people listen by
making a lot of noise. This made me think of the situation in Sweden. In the
17th Century the Swedish state (which was then in total union with the Church
of Sweden) burned and destroyed the drums of the Sami people. Today the Swedish
state allow foreign companies to exploit Sápmi. The mine in Gállok is only one
example. I hope that the Sami people find their destroyed drums and also their
prophetic voice. One such voice is Ylva Sarri. She is one of four delegates
from Church of Sweden. You can find her blog through this link.

The first plenary
this day began with three greetings. One came from the Archbishop of Canterbury
(Anglican). The other was from the Chairperson of the Pentecostal World
fellowship. He told us that his participation in the Global Christian Forum has
been an inspiration for him. He quoted Mark 9:40 where Jesus says:

Whoever is
not against us is for us ...

The last
greeting was given by the leader of a Buddhist organization in Japan which has
worked together with the WCC since Vancouver in 1983. They support some of the
WCC programmes. I think this was great! But why is always those greetings given
by elderly men. His Grace, His Holiness, His Eminence …. This needs to be
changed! Now!

The plenary
was called the Asia Plenary. We listened to five different speakers. One spoke
(again) about multiple identities in Asia. Another one said that the 21st Century
is called the Asian century. But how about Africa? I cannot recall all the
presenters but one was a Korean Orthodox bishop who made a plea for the
Orthodox churches in the Middle East. He also showed slides from the Holy
Trinity Church in Pyongyang. The Orthodox Church in North and South Korea is
united. The strongest message though came from a medical doctor from India who
told the story about two girl conjoined twins that where born near the hospital.
The family rejected them but the hospital and the whole village embraced them. Their
names were Stuti and Aradhana, meaning Praise and Worship. When they were
separated after a few years Aradhana died from an infection after some time. A tragedy,
of course. But the outcome was that the family went through a process and
accepted Stuti, who is now living with her biological family.

I was born 1960, married 1984 and have five children. I live in Uppsala, Sweden. I am a priest working as a teacher in homiletics at the Church of Sweden Institute for Pastoral Education in Uppsala. I am als an honorary lecturer at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg in South Africa. 2002 - 2006 i lived in Bloemfontein where some speak seTswana. If you want to say priest in that language you say: 'moruti'.